Anomie facts for kids

Anomie means the absence of the usual moral or ethical values, where a person or group lacks ethical standards. In the context of society or government it may be a cause of social unrest.

Etymology

The word comes from Greek, namely the prefix a- “without”, and nomos “law”. The original meaning of anomie was "against or outside the law".

In contemporary English the word anomie can mean not only normlessness but also anarchy. Émile Durkheim and later theorists, meant with anomie a reaction against or a retreat from the regulatory social controls of society, and is a completely separate concept from anarchy which is an absence of effective rulers or leaders.

See also

In Spanish: Anomia (ciencias sociales) para niños